$345.00
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Early/Mid 20th Century
3.375" H x 2" W
Hand Carved from Ivory of a Billiken Man with a Big Smile and a Pointed Head
In Very Good Condition
The Eskimo Ivory Billiken Man is a traditional Alaskan Native (often Inuit or Iñupiaq/Yup'ik) hand-carved figure known as a Billiken. This is a popular good-luck charm originating from early 20th-century Alaska, typically crafted from walrus ivory (or sometimes mammoth ivory), featuring a distinctive grinning, potbellied, elf-like humanoid form with pointed ears, a mischievous smile, and often a pointed head or tuft of hair.The Billiken character was invented in 1908 by Florence Pretz, a Kansas City art teacher, as a whimsical good-luck symbol representing "things as they ought to be." It became a national fad in the U.S. around 1909, inspiring songs, mascots (like for St. Louis University), and merchandise.
Condition:
Very Good
Tribe:
Eskimo - Inuit - Yup'ik
Year Range:
1925 - 1950
Region:
Pacific Northwest - and Alaska
Dimensions:
3.38 in2 in
Category:
Ivory, Antler & Bone Figures and Carvings
